Maine (ˈmeɪn;
État du Maine) is a
state in the
New England region of the
northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south,
New Hampshire to the west, and the
Canadian provinces of
Quebec to the northwest and
New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost portion of New England. It is known for its scenery—its jagged, mostly rocky coastline, its low, rolling mountains, its heavily forested interior and picturesque waterways—as well as for its seafood cuisine, especially
lobsters and
clams.
For thousands of years,
indigenous peoples were the only inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine. At the time of European encounter, several
Algonquian-speaking peoples inhabited the area. The first European settlement in Maine was by the French in 1604 on
Saint Croix Island, by
Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons. The first English settlement in Maine, the short-lived
Popham Colony, was established by the
Plymouth Company in 1607. A number of English settlements were established along the coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the rugged climate, deprivations, and conflict with the local peoples caused many to fail over the years.
As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements survived.
Patriot and British forces contended for Maine's territory during the
American Revolution and the
War of 1812. Maine was part of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820, when it voted to secede from Massachusetts. On March 15, 1820, it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state under the
Missouri Compromise. Maine is the
39th most extensive and the
41st most populous of the
50 United States.